


Shark Seasoning

by Erikanai



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, First Fic I Write, Please have mercy, or at least I hope it does, things will make sense eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 19:00:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11237223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erikanai/pseuds/Erikanai
Summary: Akki, a gerudo specialized in potions, is sent by Chief Riju herself to Zora's Domain to see if the Zoras have any news on how to keep Vah Ruta under control.  Trying to settle in her temporary home, Prince Sidon offers his help.  The two become fast friends, and through a series of events, become even closer.





	1. Torture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah! I finally got the courage to get my first fic up!  
> Its gonna have different chapters with different situations and it will advance to an eventual romance with a certain shark prince.
> 
> Things will reveal themselves little by little, and honestly, it all depends on how I do in this whole fic thing.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!!

Another day and yet another meal similar to the other: bland. tasteless, plain.

 

Akki stared down at the plate.  The fish was staring at her. Lifeless, soulless, empty.  With a sigh, she grabbed the fork and slowly cut the meat, feeling as the fork slid down painfully slow. She nearly gagged as she saw the grease ooze out from different parts of the fish.  She lifted the fork heavily, her muscles tense and constantly contracting as if telling her to keep the gooey food away from her, as if her body told her it was poison.  To her, yes it was. 

 

How she missed food in Gerudo Town. So rich in spices and so full of _life_.

 

She missed how each flavour danced in her tongue, stimulating different sensations.  The textures were different too. Much crispier and rougher. You could feel the edges of the lizard tails, the roughness of its skin caressing your tongue. The food had personality. It was strong. Never shy to express itself. Even a simple hydromelon bombarded you with the sweetness of its juices.  Confident enough to say that not only will it take away your thirst, but it will also ensure a sweet moment of coolness on a palm tree's shadow.

 

Taking a sniff of her “meal” (if you could call it that), she felt nothing. No smell at all. It didn't even smell like fish. It was just… there. Just to serve the purpose of not letting you starve.

 

Akki started at her companion seated across from her for some inspiration or encouragement to continue eating.  He basically swallowed everything.  No wonder he was so used to this food, he didn’t even bother to taste it.  His sharp teeth barley even worked.  On other occasions, she would have laughed how his large hands managed to work with the silverware, but not today.  The edge of her lip curled in disgust as she saw the grease slide down his lips.  When he offered they eat together, she thought that the royal chefs would put more effort than the merchants outside. The only difference she found was the intricate flower decoration on the plate made of algae. Oh how disappointing this lunch has been.  If she could, she would just get up and yell her heart out at the cooks for making something so disgusting, hideous, and how she would stick up a spoon up a voe’s -

 

“Is everything ok, Akki?”

 

She blinked a few times. No its not. Nothing was fine. At this point, she would starve to death if they kept feeding her like this. But she had to say something nice. She had to. Sidon was so overjoyed when she accepted the invitation. He had cancelled plans for her. Even when he gave the grand tour of the dinning area, she noticed how his face lit up with excitement. She had to say something. Anything.

 

“This is disgusting.”

 

 It took a few minutes for Akki to process what she had said.  Did she just- no, she couldn't have. It would be ridiculous, yet why was there such a long silence? Realizing her mistake, she jumped from her seat, nearly spilling her drink.

 

“I mean- I’m sorry! The food is-” Say it’s great. Say its delicious. That she could eat this for the rest of her life “It’s so… I mean, you know. It’s so wow! So so…” 

 

Sidon’s golden eyes stared at her green ones for a a while.  For a second Akki thought that if the eyes of the fish on her plate stared at her like that, she would eat it in a second.  Or maybe even let herself get eaten with just that one predatory glance. She slapped her forehead at how ridiculous she was being. This was not going well at all. What is the deepest point in the domain for her to drown herself? She could grab a rock, use some strong rope she saw in the market and then she could- 

 

He stood from his seat slowly and letting out a long sigh.  “You know this food is sacred. It’s a ceremonial food used to solidify a friendship.”

 

Akki stared at the red Zora with her mouth open. This was why this lunch was so important to him. How could she not see the signs? He wasn’t excited to feed her the poor fish.  It was what the feeble fish represented!  All these weeks Akki has been in Zora's Domain Sidon always found the time to talk to her or just help her get used to her new home.  Their fast forming friendship could be ruined because of this fish. She messed up big time. “I - I-” she then looked down at her plate once more and with all the concentration in the world, grabbed her fork and swallowed the horrid piece of fish. She gagged and tried her hardest not to puke.  Goddesses, please don't make her throw up in front of the prince.

 

Then there was a chuckle.  Then a muffled laugh. Then a loud roar of laughter as Sidon pulled his head back.

 

“Oh my dear friend, I only jest! There is no such thing as a ceremonial meal for friendship,”  he sat letting the last chuckles fade away while he wiped a tear. “If you hated the food so much, you should have told me! I could ask the chefs to make something more suited to your tastes!”

 

Unbelievable. She just made a fool of herself and this voe was enjoying it. Still feeling a little irked, she threw the saggy fish at the prince’s head.  The fish was so mushy that it stuck to his forehead for a few seconds, and slowly slid down his face and leaving a track of grease.  The look of shock of the prince was indeed priceless.

 

“If this is the kind of food you have daily, I’ll bring my own meal next time you invite me, or perhaps I could teach your cooks some basics.”

 

As the fish kept sliding down the royal face, he grabbed it’s tail with his shark teeth, did a quick flick of his head to throw it above him, and ate the fish with one large chomp. He then licked his lips and smiled at her.

 

“Any fin for you, my friend.”

 

And then the rest of the meal was wasted on being thrown at the prince’s laughing face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was my first fic! Hope it wasnt too bad??
> 
> And yes, I took some liberties and thought about how the Gerudos seem to be based a lot on South Asia/Arabic and I thought that their foods should be somewhat similar, in other words, fan of spices, elaborated foods and lots and lots of flavour. Did you notice how I added some of the game's ingredients? Lizards...so yummy.
> 
> I thought the Zoras wouldn't really bother to condiment their food too much since...well...they dont really need to. They must be able to catch the absolute best fresh fish, so why bother covering its taste? 
> 
> Anyways. I will be taking some more liberties in the next chapters about these cultures and hope it doesnt turn out too OOC. 
> 
> Also, Sidon seems to always be written as a kind guy, and don't get me wrong, I love that. But I think that after a certain point in the friendship, he should be able to open up a bit more and I think he would throw more (embarrassing) jokes. I will try to keep him in character as much as I can in future chapters.


	2. Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akki's first encounter with the powers of another divine beast.

Rain was drumming the walls of Zora’s Domain harshly, echoes of its uneven beat hitting everyone’s ears. Vah Ruta was boasting it’s power over the Zoras, reminding them cruelly how their guardian was defeated in battle. The waters bellow the infrastructure were roaring with open mouths hoping to swallow anything the rains could offer. Even Zoras, who can breathe underwater and are expert swimmers, run a risk in being shoved roughly towards rocks. 

“When will this end?” the little Zora Laruta squeaked as she hugged Akki’s leg. “I’m scared.”

“I’m not! I’m not scared of anything!” exclaimed Keye, a voe about Laruta’s age “The Domain has survived harsher things than this! … Right?”

Akki smiled fondly at the kids and hugged them tight. “I promise you everything will be alright. King Dorephan himself said we shouldn’t worry.” She smiled nervously at the kids and took them deeper in the castle, away from all the ruckus. Truth be told, Akki was beyond scared. Although rain was scarce in her hometown, there were rare occasions that rain was so strong that caused houses to sink completely in the sand, buildings unaccustomed to the weight of the water. Her own aunt’s corpse was found in the rubbles of the market.

She looked around the packed hallways in Zora’s Domain. It seemed that everyone had managed to get many inside. All except one. Akki bit her lip nervously. She knew he had a heroe’s complex, but she hoped it didn’t get him killed tonight.

As if the goddesses heard her prayer, Sidon rushed inside. He had helped guards guide people inside and take them into safety. Luckily nobody had fallen into the waters. The prince greeted everyone and asked them to remain calm, that it will soon pass. The domain’s structure seemed stable enough and he had even checked for any fissures in the columns, and was glad to see none. Vah Ruta seemed to be showing off it’s powers more than before, and although the damn was well built, he is starting to doubt if it’s high enough.

As he walked he noticed dampen red hair amongst the fish tails. He jogged towards Akki and before he could greet her, he was tackled by the kids.

“Sidon Sidon! You’re here!” cheered Laruta “Tumbo said you wouldn’t make it!”  
“I did not! I just…said he would come late, that’s all!”

“At least he is here now,” started Akki as she faced the prince, eyeing him up and down, checking for any injuries “You seem to be in one piece.”

“That I am, my friend” Sidon smiled tiredly and then sat with the kids. Keye scrambled to sit on his lap. “You seem to be doing well. I hope the kids haven’t caused too much trouble.”

“Oh not at all!” Akki said a little too happily “They keep me company, and if anything were to happen, they would help me swim. I’m only with them for selfish reasons.”

The kids giggled.

“You’re too heavy for us to help.”

“Are you calling me fat.”

“Yeah! You can’t even swim in our pools!”

“I prefer the outdoors.”

“Oh oh and remember the time she fell in shallow pool? How she screamed!”

“Yeah yeah. Very funny. It was deep enough for someone to drown, ok?”

“You swim worse than a bokobin!”

“Alright alright, no need to rub it in!” She nudged Laruta “And here I thought you were the sweet one.”

Then everyone recalled all of the times Akki failed at swimming, how she couldn’t hold her breathe, how her doggy paddle would put dogs to shame, and that she should shave her head to swim better. Sidon tried to stop them from laughing at Akki, but the kids only recalled more of her failed attempts. He looked at the gerudo and mouthed a small “sorry”. Akki shook her head. She honestly didn’t mind all the teasing, but it wasn’t helping that there was a potential threat outside reminding them constantly as it punched the ceiling repeatedly.

Tearing her fearful gaze from the ceiling, Akki convinced the kids to change topic and she started telling them stories of her travels and tales she had heard along the way. The kids were always fascinating by her stories and listened happily. She had a skill with making different voices and using a variety of hand gestures and sound effects to capture their full attention. 

Sidon appreciated Akki’s efforts in keeping them distracted. Although nobody expressed their worry, there was a tense air amongst the older Zoras. He found Akki’s choice in taking the kids away from the rest a wise choice. 

He laughed when Akki pinched Tumbo’s cheek for interrupting her story by mentioning the day she slipped in front of the king because of a small puddle of water. Although everyone laughed, he noticed Akki’s hands were shaking. She was terrified.

Sidon then grabbed the little Zora on his lap and set him aside. “You know” he did a loud exaggerated sneeze “I think I am coming down with a cold. I think I should just-” he scooted closer to Akki and wrapped an arm around her. “Stick to the only warm blooded creature here.” 

The kids instantly stood up and started complaining “Hey! We want warmth too!” and wobbled towards Akki and hugged her tight. One hugging her arm, another her torso, one taking a hold of her leg, some trying impossible positions to hug her better. Akki stared at Sidon in shock and he just smiled tenderly at her. He hugged her tight and whispered “I am here for you, my friend. Always”. Akki’s eyes started to water, and nodded. She muttered a ‘small thank you’ and leaned her head on his shoulder. Her body oddly relaxed against his cold skin. 

Then Sidon said “Does anyone want to hear how I defeated a giant Octorok?”

The kids cheered and Akki simply closed her eyes. She took a deep breathe, focused on his breathing and how his voice rumbled from his chest.

The torrential rain was soon forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still reading this? I'm glad!!
> 
> Now that I'm on vacations, I can write a bit more! The next story will finally be more Sidon-centric and hopefully some people like my interpretation of his personality! 
> 
> Thanks for sticking around!


	3. Shark Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Sidon wanting to help Akki turned out differently than he originally thought.

The room was exactly how Sidon thought it would be; filled with exotic smells, ingredients in bottles and pots in every corner, various open books and ripped pages on the floor.  Looking to the side, he chuckled at the sight of the small pool.  Well, at least it used to be one.  Since his species need to remain hydrated at all times, some Zoras tend to have a tub or a small pool in their room (others slept underwater).  Apparently Akki put a better use to it.  The pool was filled with various types of leaves, all mashed with oils and liquids Sidon couldn't identify.  He then reached out with one of his large hands, wanting to see this odd product up close.   
   
"Touch it, and you will regret it"  the prince instantly stopped and gave Akki a toothy grin.   
"I merely wanted to examine it.  No harm intended."   
   
Akki remained crosslegged on the floor, surrounded by her books and papers.  She looked tired from researching all day.  One would think someone would want to rest and enjoy their free time (especially after a long day being one of Muzu's apprentices,) instead Akki locked herself up in her room to continue her research.  Sidon just stared at her like a weird bug.  If he had a whole day to himself, he would swim all day, walk around the domain, talk to his fellow Zoras, perhaps even surprise his fan club. He couldn't let his friend waste her precious free time to not be able to enjoy the Domain.  
   
As Akki returned to her readings, Sidon reached over the pool once more.   
   
"Tell me, is it a Zora thing to be this nosy or a shark thing"   
   
"Come with me or I will touch whatever concoction you are making.  Eat it if I have to."   
   
Akki pretended to write a few notes "Very threatening, so it must definitely be a shark thing."   
   
Sidon smiled and moved closer to the pool, extending his arm exaggeratedly and spreading his fingers to possibly grab more.   
   
"Alright alright!" She crossed her arms and and gave a loud huff. "I don't want to be banished from the domain for murdering a prince."   
   
With a startled jump, Sidon moved away. "That could kill me?"    
   
Akki shrugged her shoulders "I don't know exactly what it could do to a Zora.  Your physiology is different to what I am used to.  Assuming your body can absorb or secrete substances more, because your species constantly need to remain hydrated, that can only mean that you have a high level of diffusion. So if I apply some on your skin, the liquid inside you will want to come out and you will die of dehydration or perhaps hemorrhage-"   
   
"Lovely" He grabbed her arm and dragged her outside.  Ignoring her constant protests, he took her down the halls until they finally reached the outdoors of the domain.  He took a deep breath "That’s more like it.  Isn't it just great out here?"     
   
Finally freed from Sidon's grasp, Akki sat and let her feet dangle on the side of the bridge.  "It's alright."  She received a hard stare. "Ok ok! It's perfect. Thank you for this."   
   
He smiled once more and sat beside her, gazing at the water below.  Akki laughed at the vast difference between her legs and his.   This was not the first time Sidon has dragged her out of her room. She had to secretly admit she appreciated it. Taking a break did help refresh her mind and possibly improve her research. Usually they would chat idly, throw rocks and Sidon would threaten Akki that he would push her if she made fun of him. Though this time, Akki found it odd that Sidon hasn’t even started to tease.  
   
“The damn wont hold for long.”   
   
Akki snapped her head towards Sidon.  The usually cheerful Zora seemed depressed and suddenly drained with no energy.  His shoulders were slouched and his eyes didn’t have the same spark as before. It was rare to see him this vulnerable.  He always seemed strong enough to take everyone's problems and still smile it off. Now he simply looked, dare she say, beaten.

Then he continued, “Do you ever feel that no matter how hard you try, there is no way of changing the terrible end?”

Akki understood what he meant.  The damn was getting filled at an alarming rate.  It was only a matter of time for the worse to happen.     
   
"What about the hero?" She asked   
   
After a long silence he sighed "There have been no signs of him for many decades.  I still have high hopes but at times I just can’t help and think-”

“What if he doesn’t appear?” Sidon nodded at her. Of course Akki knew what he meant. After all, the main reason she was in the domain was to get information of the divine beast and see if the Zoras come across any sort of solution. Even if she didn’t know her chief personally, she didn’t think she sent Akki and her friend Karsh out because she lost hope. It was all to hopefully solve everything before its too late. Besides, Akki thought Chief Riju wouldn’t like to have the lives of many in the hands of a voe who disappeared.

Akki sighed and stared ahead. But in the end there are no news on how to control the beasts (only a few impossible targets to weaken them). Their final and only hope had to be the hero. Any kind of hero would have to do. The goddesses know how hard all the races have struggled. They couldn’t be cruel enough to destroy the key to a peaceful life.

She bumped her foot with Sidon’s leg, catching his attention. "We can’t give up. Perhaps the hero is stuck, lost, or maybe fell asleep along the way”. Akki then stood and stretched, finding satisfaction when she heard the cracking in her back. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to get here? The path to get here is infested with monsters, and trying to walk around them without getting caught is an exhausting thing to do.”

“That didn’t work out well for you in the end,” Sidon then laughed loudly “I still remember the day you arrived. Running and screaming on this very bridge with a tail of monsters behind you.”

Nodding, she placed a hand on his shoulder “You came to my aid, and for that I will forever be in your debt.”

“Please, do not worry- Say that again.” He jumped and stared at her intensely. He placed both of his hands on her shoulders and gripped them.

“That I will be forever in your debt?”

“No no! The part before that! The part where I came to your aid.”

“That you came to my aid?” She studied his odd change. "What does that have anything to do with-”

The prince unexpectedly hugged her tight. “You’re a genius!” He spun her around and continued “Akki don’t you see?” He set her down and gave her a toothy smile. “The hero we are looking for must be struggling to find his way!”

“Sidon, you think that the hero you need will be one that struggles with monsters?”

“Don’t be silly. He has to be strong enough to face Vah Ruta. I am going to send search teams for the hero. Any hylian will do! I’ll search as well if it’s necessary!”

Excited, Akki cheered “That’s brilliant, Sidon! If anyone can find the hero, it’s you!” 

Later they both walked back to the domain, chatting happily about how to find the hero and what to do when he arrives. Akki even offered to give the prince an electro elixir to ease the hero’s travel. 

Eventually, they reached Akki’s room and Sidon simply walked in without second thought. 

“Tell me, Sidon, is it a Zora or a shark thing to just barge in someone’s room without permission?”

“I could smell some of the food you have stored,” crossing his arms and pretending to think hard, he continued “So it’s a shark thing” he winked.

Akki rolled her eyes but laughed anyways.  
“No. It’s most definitely a Sidon thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Honestly, I don't think this is my best work, but hey, i hope the next chapters will be more to your liking!  
> I kkkkinda had a writers block annnd was busy with other things all together. But i THINK i will be able to post again soon.
> 
> Any who. On a random note... I think there are zoras who mostly live underwater, but but but...if most of them did, why bother make a huge domain out of the water? Wouldn't it be easier to just have a domain underwater and have like a small port for oxygen breathing beings? I like to think there must be some physiological reason they have to stay out of the water at times. 
> 
> To me at least, the oxygen demand may be higher for the zoras because maybe they have developed more red muscle tissues. So there is more oxygen outside than in the water. Maybe they need to exercise these muscles against the force of gravity, because even orcas have issues staying out of the water too long, so maybe zoras need to stay out to exercise them.
> 
> Id still love to hear your thoughts though!


	4. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although a festival is coming up, Akki can't help missing her dear friend.

The Spring Festival was approaching and Zora’s Domain seemed empty. Akki would occasionally hear someone dashing through the domain, and eventually hear a splash, indicating the Zora went back to work underwater. Everyone was busy running or swimming trying to help as much as they could. Even the children had no free time, practicing in deeper pools. 

Akki groaned as she helped another Zora who barged in asking for assistance. This must have been the twelfth Zora that had gotten injured for tripping or crashing. Apparently Muzu was also excited to help with the festivities, so he gave Akki the “biggest honor a Zora could give an outsider”. Which was to be in charge of the infirmary. 

If it were any other day, she would have actually taken pride in Muzu’s words, but today it only seemed as an excuse to leave his work, along with the other Zoras who worked there. In the end she was helping Zoras with sprained ankles or fins, desperate to be well before the festival. 

Akki was beyond irritated, but she knew she wouldn’t be of much help because the Zoras worked mainly underwater. The only thing she could see were moments of Zoras splashing the water, and then back to silence. She knew that the commotion was down there.

Once everyone was healed, she went to the bridge to have a moment to herself. She sat on her usual spot and looked down. 

She has rarely seen Sidon. Now that he helped with the search of a Hylian, he only came to the Domain to give his reports to his father and then he would rush his way back to whichever post he was inspecting. Although at first she had the company of her friend Tottika, Akki always ended sulking for her voe friend.

Sidon’s visits were unannounced and unexpected, and if it weren't for the king, Akki wouldn’t have known he had been around. The king would always summon her moments after the prince had left to give her ingredients that Sidon had picked up during his travels. Most of them were quite useless, but she still found it touching that she was not forgotten. Akki had considered leaving a small packet for Sidon, but who was she to ask King Dorephan a favor? 

Sometimes during the day, Akki couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander, worrying if the prince was well. Was he eating alright? Do Zoras need blankets for the cold? What if he can’t find the hero? Has Akki doomed Sidon to never come back to his home? Muzu had threatened Akki a few times that he would ask the king for a change in the gerudo representative. Akki would then have to forget about her worries for at least a few hours before zoning off again.

The last time she officially saw Sidon was only a few weeks ago. Akki had heard from Laflat that she thought she saw the prince about to leave. Instantly, Akki ran towards the main entrance, only to see the prince jump off.

Splash! 

Suddenly Akki was drenched in cold water and she screamed “Tottika! I swear to the goddesses that I will-”

“Sav’aaq my friend!” laughed the Zora holding an empty bucket, “I thought you looked dehydrated! Its an endearing way of showing how much I care for you!”

“Ha. Ha. How sweet of you” she grunted as she tried to squeeze some water out of her hair. 

Then Tottika happily sat beside her, handing her dried fish. Akki had met the vai Zora in the infirmary after she got hurt during a red moon. Not only did she hurt her leg, but also had a high fever caused by the infected wound. Akki advised she couldn’t eat raw fish, so she handed Tottika some of her own snacks. Tottika was absolutely fascinated by the new taste and insisted that Akki should teach her how to cook dried fish. Tottika wanted to learn more about Gerudo culture, while Akki needed to learn more of the Zoras. They became rapid friends. Eventually Akki found out that many Zoras started eating dried fish. According to Tottika, dry food helps feed the guards during their duty. Not only was it practical, but it was also delicious.

“Having fun on the surface?”

“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing” she received a stare from Tottika. Akki lifted her arms in surrender “Ok ok, it’s incredibly boring with everyone preparing for whatever this festival is about”

Tottika explained to Akki that the Spring Festival is a day they celebrate during the migration of fish moving upstream to lay eggs. Not only do the Zoras get more food, but they celebrate the end of winter and begining of spring, a symbol of life. The Zoras go beneath the Domain’s infrastructure and dance amongst the fishes. Akki also learned that there were different kids of dances according to your relationship to the Zora. There were dances for mates, for courtship, between friends, between family, diplomats, respect, and the list goes on.

“It sounds like I am going to miss a great spectacle” Akki smiled sadly.

“Well we still have a few days before the festival, so we are going to make you the finest swimmer of all the gerudos!” 

With the prince gone, Akki has asked Tottika and even the help of the kids to teach her some basic swimming. She found that it was time to learn how to swim, especially living surrounded by water. Although she hasn’t advanced much, she was proud to hold her breath and keep her eyes open underwater. Sure, to Zoras that all came naturally, even the kids teased her, but Akki was so excited by her progress that she pestered her friend to teach her whenever she had a break.

Akki laughed “Just imagine! The best doggy paddler. My dreams finally come true!” 

Tottika joined the laugh “I just know the prince will love your doggy paddle. Maybe he will dance with you”.

With a snort, Akki responded “Oh please, he will be the embarrassment of festival. We don't want that”.

“Well embarrassment or not, you are swimming with me at one point”.

“Courtship dance I hope”.

“I can’t think of any other dance for us”. They both glanced at each other and giggled. 

 

 

“Calm down you two,” a deep voice started, Akki instantly turned to see Prince Sidon in all his glory walking on the bridge, “Whale whale whale. It almost seems that I am not missed here”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another chapter done!
> 
> Hope you guys liked this one, even if the prince of bad puns only appeared at the end. I promise there will be a lot more of him next chapter!


	5. Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akki has come to the realization the Zoras are not as welcoming as they seem.

The day before the festival hit Akki hard. Everyone was scrambling around, getting every last detail ready. Akki still took charge of the infirmary, but she noticed that whenever a Zora stopped by for whatever reason, the moment they set their eyes on her, they would turn and leave. She even saw a Zora limping as fast as he could to get into the water.  
Akki never felt more alone. Even though the Zoras were kind enough to welcome her into their community, she never felt as one of their own. Even after nearly two months of trying to fit in, the Zoras still looked at her oddly and didn’t go any farther than a hello in a conversation. They even still pointed out her odd hair and her weird habits. Sometimes the Zora kids were practically dragged by their parents when they saw them spending too much time with her. Many would think that the Zoras would have gotten used to her presence by now. 

Well they haven’t. 

Akki even stopped going to shops because she hated the way the Zoras kept an eye on her. The merchants, who usually cheered for anyone to come to their shop, would suddenly go mute and pretend to work hard on another minuscule labor. Being a potion maker in her town, she had to have a good relationship with the merchants to have the best ingredients. She knew how to bargain, how to flatter the right people, how to be strict with trickier saleswomen, but she never failed obtaining an ingredient she wanted. With these social skills she manage to win over many merchants in the outskirts of her town, and eventually obtained the attention of her Chief. 

Just the thought of failing Chief Riju made her chest hurt. Akki learned that she was the first Gerudo in many years to establish some sort of contact with the Zoras. Not only did she come for information of the Divine Beasts, but she felt she represented her whole tribe. She didn’t want to let anyone down, and at times these thoughts were too much to handle. 

Shaking her head at the thoughts, she welcomed a Zora who entered the infirmary. Just one look and she noticed the vai had dislocated her shoulder. Akki did the proper procedures, and when she started applying ointment to relieve the pain, she noticed something odd. The Zora was (not so discretely) trying to take a hold of her bag. The Gerudo happily handed it to her and refocused on the shoulder, but looked at her patient with the corner of her eye. The Zora tried to count her rupees with one hand, and then moved to thoroughly check the contents of her bag. When Akki asked if she had lost something, the Zora stared at her intensely and replied ‘If I loose something, I know who to blame.”

At that moment, Akki’s blood ran cold. This vai thought she was a thief, and perhaps many Zoras did too. Then the Zora stood and left the infirmary muttering a small thank you. Akki just sat paralyzed on the same spot, still unsettled by the new revelation. She knew her problem with the Zoras had to be something serious, but she had never imagined it could have been a prejudice that dated so long ago. 

 

“You better have a good excuse for having the face like that” she jumped as she heard Sidon walk into the infirmary. He sat by her and smiled gently. Akki remained silent.

“I finished some o-fish-al meetings, and thought I could just come reef-fresh here” Sidon continued while highlighting his puns. He waited for Akki to snap but when he saw no signs of annoyance, he quickly worried. 

Akki sighed and looked away “It’s nothing. Don’t you have princely duties to attend to?” 

He shrugged “I should but I’m actually running away from them. More precisely running away from Muzu.” He placed his hand gently on hers, “Now tell me, what’s wrong?”

“Tottika stole my last dried fish”.

“Not convincing, try again”

“Muzu scolded me for mixing the cool saffina with the warm saffina again”

“I just told you I was running away from Muzu. Pay more attention next time”

“Do you think I am a thief?”

He gave her an incredulous stare. He waited for her to make up another excuse, but as she looked down at her feet, Sidon knew that she just revealed what was bothering her. The prince knew there was a great prejudice towards Gerudos. He has heard that long ago they had stolen some of his people’s eggs. Of course that was centuries ago, and he hasn’t heard of any new cases of Gerudos going back to their thievery. Since his kind rarely had any contact with Gerudos, he thought that any previous thoughts of them would be erased quickly in time. He didn’t blame his people though. These were dark times and he couldn’t be angry at them for wanting to be precautious. 

“You know what I thought when I first saw you?” Akki huffed. She didn’t want to remember her first encounter with the prince. “I thought ‘how can someone be foolish enough to be chased by so many monsters and not carry a weapon.’” 

“You are terrible at cheering someone up” Akki covered her face embarrassed and groaned.

“Then let me finish,” Sidon looked at her sympathetically “When I started having trouble fighting them, you tried to aid me. Who would have thought the foolish person carried sting bombs?” he paused and stared at her intently “I saw how quickly your expression changed from a scared child to a fearsome warrior. You jumped to help a total stranger with absolutely no weapons to aid you.”  
“I know many warriors, and not many are as brave as you,” He then reached out to gently grab her hands to see her face. “You are more than what meets the eye, give my people time. They haven’t had the chance to see you the way I do”. 

“A foolish vai who doesn’t know how to fight?”

He gave her a stern look “A brave warrior willing to help those in need”.

Akki looked at the ceiling trying to not let the tears fall. Her short stay in the Domain can’t change the centuries old prejudice. With time perhaps it could. She already had Sidon, Tottika and the children’s support. Muzu seemed to treat her just as strictly as the rest. All she had to do was keep working hard and prove to them how wrong their prejudice is. Not only did Akki want her people to be proud of her, she felt the desire for Sidon to be proud as well.

She then stood to hug the prince tightly. “Thank you. For everything.”

“No problem my friend,” he gladly returned the hug, “You will be accepted in no time, I believe in you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY. Another chapter! Sorry for the delay, it has been hectic. I had exams and projects to do.
> 
> I gotta say this is not one of my best works, but hey, it was necessary. Also, I may write about the day they actually meet, but not yet. Maybe soon, maybe late. Dunno!
> 
> Hopefully (I dont want to make any promises though) the next chapter will come soon! And it will finally be the day of the festival
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking around this far, it means the world to me!


	6. Underwater Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Spring Festival has finally arrived!

Akki stared at herself in the mirror with her newly bought Zora clothing. It was odd seeing herself so…outlined. Although Gerudos were never thought to be the most bashful kind in Hyrule, she realized Zoras were far more open about showing off their body. Of course they were, they were practically naked and clothing seemed to be impractical for them. She pinched the thick fabric on her legs, feeling how tight it clung to her skin, yet it remained flexible enough to grant her movement. She usually had no problem with tight tops, but she felt utterly self-conscious if her garment clung to her torso a little too much. Akki started to regret following Tottika’s advice. 

The Zora had told her that it was best to wear thick and tight clothing since normal clothes could get in the way while swimming, possibly tangling her arms and legs, making it harder to reach the surface. The idea of humiliating herself in front of the Zoras during the celebration made her shiver. She ran to the market that same day and bought an outfit even if the merchant gave her the nastiest glare. Akki tried to keep her calm, and decided to talk the least as possible. She knew there were very few shops that sold clothing that covered most of the body, so she had no choice but hear the Zora grumble under his breath as they finished the transaction.

It was odd that it had only been a day since she came to discover the Zoras held a prejudice against her kind. Yet here she was, dressing in their robes, ready to take part in one of their celebrations. Of course, with her Gerudo pride, she had improvised to add a few more things to her outfit. Her long hair was braided tightly, with several small golden cuffs to decorate it. Akki used many bangles and bracelets on her ankles and forearms. She then adjusted her flower-decorated belt that matched her necklace. Although she couldn’t use her traditional eye make up, she was satisfied with her end result. It was odd seeing how the greys and blues of the Zora tunic matched with her vibrant red and gold accessories. Hopefully the Zoras saw this as a sign of good will rather than trying to offend their traditions. And if they couldn’t, well, she would just have to try harder to win their approval.

A hard knock broke Akki from her reflexion. Shaking her head, she walked towards the door and was greeted by Tottika. 

“Sav’aaq Akki! Your royal escort has finally arrived!” She made an exaggerated bow and extended her arm. Akki laughed at her friend and answered with an exaggerated curtsy. Unlike Akki, Tottika wore only the minimum. Tottika was a warrior, and she never liked to have too many accessories on her (unless its armor of course), but Akki was surprised to see a small golden bracelet on her ankle. It contrasted with her black and white skin. Of the few accessories Tottika wore, the delicate bracelet seemed to outshine the silver ones.

Akki couldn’t help to say “My my, what a beautiful accessory you have there. You have very good taste, my friend.” 

“Oh? This trinket? I got it on a cheap flee market.” Akki shoved Tottika’s shoulder playfully, “You know I love it.” As they laughed, Akk thought how could she mope around about the Zoras when she had a friend like Tottika? Akki had given her one of her own jewels just a few days ago as a token of their friendship. To Gerudos, jewelry defines a great part of who they are. They were very careful in choosing which jewel to wear every day. Not only did it show status, but it also reflected a Gerudo’s personality. Giving one of their own jewels to someone else meant that they considered that person to be a significant part of their life. After Akki explained it to Tottika, she was so over joyed that when she hugged Akki, they fell on the floor, receiving many odd stares from others walking by. Akki had thought about giving a piece of jewelry to Sidon, but she doubted a jewel would mean much to a prince, and she honestly didn’t know what kind of jewelry was acceptable for voes.

“Well then, shall we?” Tottika lead Akki outside towards the statue of the Zora Champion where all the Zoras had gathered, anxiously waiting for the king and prince to arrive. Some were especially energetic, jumping or tapping their feet, eager to jump into the water. In fact, they appeared so excited that they didn’t seem to mind the Gerudo’s presence. Akki had received more sincere smiles than when she first arrived. She knew the smiles weren’t for her personally, but it gave her hope that some day they could be.

Once the King finally arrived, he greeted everyone with a broad smile and officially announced the beginning of the festival. All the Zoras then ran hurriedly towards the edge and started diving into the water. 

“Come on!” Tottika grabbed Akki’s arm and ran as well. Akki scurried along with her and they both jumped into the water. After they broke onto the surface, Tottika lead her towards a group of Zoras floating and watching how everyone else dived. Akki waved happily when the small Keye yelled to get Akki’s attention. He was so focused on the Gerudo, that he was pushed by Laruta, making him the second worse diver (Akki being in first place of course). 

Once all the Zoras seemed to have gotten into the water, they then saw Sidon reach the edge. He waved at his subjects and scanned the floating crowd. Everyone cheered for him. Later his gaze stopped at Akki’s direction and he gave a small wink. Akki wasn’t sure who it was addressed to, but many of his fans cheered louder than before. Then he dived into the water swiftly and King Dorephan soon followed, provoking a large splash and massive waves. The Zoras continued to cheer but Akki found it hard to remain afloat. The waves were huge, and when she thought she survived the first wave, another wave came to smack her on the face. Tottika held her arm firmly to keep her stable, but she suddenly slipped Tottika’s grip. Akki felt a strong pull drag her underwater, and although it stopped abruptly, she panicked. She desperately clawed her way towards the surface, and coughed water when she reached it. Once she settled her breath, she was face to face with a grinning prince. 

“Clam down Akki,” he placed both of her hands on his shoulders for her to steady herself, “One could think you were shocked to see me”. 

Still coughing the water that got into her lungs, she managed to say “Puns. Really?” she coughed again and tried to calm down. “You want to kill me before I can even see the festival?”

“Relax. I heard you’ve been taking classes. I am certain your friend has taught you enough to survive an inoffensive pull.”

“She has taught me well, but she didn’t teach me how to survive your bad puns.”

“I say the best puns. She just didn’t teach you to appreciate the art.”

“It’s not an art to begin with-”

“Don’t put me in the middle of this!” Tottika held her arms up in exasperation. “We will miss the festival if you two keep arguing. Now, if your majesty doesn’t mind,” Tottika grabbed Akki’s hand and winked at her “I was promised the first dance with my friend. You can come for her whenever you want.” 

Sidon chuckled “Very well. We will continue our important chat later,” and before he went underwater, he grinned at Akki “Don’t forget to save a dance for me”.

Right before she was going to be pulled underwater once more, Akki shouted “Wait!” Akki took out a small bottle and drank its contents. “My stamina needs to catch up with you fish folk.” She took a deep breath of air, and dived to finally see the Zoras underwater. Nothing could compare to what she imagined these past days.

 

 

They were beautiful.

The Zoras danced merrily and gracefully. Bright colored fishes in large schools swam closely, not fearing to be eaten. Nobody stumbled or crashed with anyone. The vais seemed in particularly high spirits as they spun with the voes. Akki was amazed to see the expanse of all the rich colors. The decorations, the plants and the fishes moved with the current and the Zoras happily moved to the music. The floors were decorated with corals and floral ornaments, vines encircled the pillars holding the domain.

Several Zoras shot Akki, Tottika and Sidon curious glances. A few even pointed openly at Akki again. She couldn’t help but stick their tongue out at them. 

Sidon chuckled at this “Very mature of you” and she stuck her tongue out at him as a response. It was supposed to be a day for celebration, and here they were trying to make her feel out of place again. She has done everything right to this moment, so they were the ones being immature, not her. Might as well enjoy herself.

They then reached one of the many spots where large bubbles floated towards the surface. Tottika explained that one can actually inhale its air. Akki seemed suspicious at first, but after a short demonstration by her friend, she happily floated close to the pillar of bubbles to refill her lungs. As soon as she settled, Sidon was asked to dance. He waved at his friends and swam with the giggling vai. He was then lost amongst the dancing Zoras.

“Want to dance?” Tottika asked but quickly corrected herself “Oh. Sorry, I forgot you can’t speak underwater without loosing your breathe”, and before Akki could show some sign of reply, Tottika quickly grabbed her arms “Then let’s dance!”.

She guided Akki to the dance area with the rest of the Zoras. Tottika swayed from side to side with Akki, trying to help her get the hang of dancing underwater. On one side, Akki was glad it was impossible to trip, but on the other, she felt like a jellyfish awkwardly floating while her friend tried to teach her some moves. The rest of the Zoras did complicated twirls and danced in synchrony with their partner. Meanwhile Akki some how managed to kick her friend’s nose when Tottika tried to teach her how to do a small flip. 

“Why don’t we just stick to swaying?” She groaned as she rubbed her nose. Akki stared at her apologetically, but Tottika stopped her “No. Don’t you dare. I can see a sorry wanting to come out of your mouth. We are here to dance and enjoy ourselves.” With that, they continued to move from side to side, happy to be in each others company. Akki would sometimes go to the pillar of bubbles to refill her lungs, but then quickly resume the dance with her friend. 

At this point it seemed most Zoras were dancing. The king himself danced at the bottom with some of his advisors. The music echoed through the water and it was unlike anything Akki had ever heard. It’s tempo matched the movements of the current, and the Zoras moved along with it. It was a hypnotizing dance, and only then Akki learned why the Zoras were so excited for this day. It seemed that they all moved as one. Each pair representing some sort of relationship. This interconnected web was proof of how united this community was, how valuable each Zora was to the community, and Akki was honored to even just be a small part of it.

 

When Sidon had a moment to rest, he saw red hair float amongst fish tails. He could not see the person’s face, but he knew full well who it was. Sidon watched in fascination as her hair glowed to the light from above. Akki was a fire casting a light in the waters. During his travels, Sidon had seen hair of other races, but he had never seen such a vibrant color before. It amused him how her hair moved underwater. Her hair floated, and many loose strands seemed to caress her face slowly as she twirled with her friend. As they moved, Sidon unconsciously leaned to the side more and more to have a better view, but at one point Akki had gone beyond his sight. Then Sidon tried to quickly swim towards her, but since he was too focused on finding her, Sidon accidentally stumbled with a few Zoras. He apologized and before he could keep searching for her friend, a guard asked to dance with him. 

Several moments later, Akki swam away from the dance area, allowing Tottika to dance with Cleff, a merchant who has had his eye on her for a while. Akki swam towards a pillar of bubbles floating close by, and smiled when she saw her friend laughing and swirling with Cleff. She seemed to be showing off moves that Akki didn’t know even existed underwater. The voe seemed to catch up to all her steps, making Tottika giggle and swirl even more. The Gerudo stared curiously when her friend all of a sudden floated plainly, as if she were lying on a bed, and the voe swam on top of her. Their noses touched and Akki couldn’t help but blush at the sight. It was as if she were watching an intimate scene. 

“They seem to get along, don't they?” 

Akki screamed, loosing most of her air, so she desperately swam towards more than one bubble to regain her breath. She merely nodded, and glanced at the prince. He seemed relaxed as he stared at the Zoras dance. Akki saw only a fraction of how many he had danced with, so she assumed he must be exhausted.

“Has Tottika explained to you the meaning behind some movements?”

Akki shook her head, but she didn’t need someone to tell her that what she was witnessing was not a mere friendship dance. Sidon seemed to relax at her confession.

“May I?” he extended an arm and Akki had to blink a few times. She waved a few times, trying to say that it wasn’t necessary, but his friend thought otherwise. “I have just danced with all sorts of Zoras but I have yet to dance with a friend. Will you grant me this dance?”

Akki finally gave in and did a small nod, she let him lead her with the rest of the Zoras. She tried to swim towards Sidon, but he quickly swam away. Finding it odd, she swam again towards him and he simply swam the other way again grinning. She smiled, understanding the small game, and tried to swim quicker this time. Sidon then dashed to her side, pulling playfully at her arm. He twirled above her and appeared behind her to pull her braid lightly. She spun rapidly, but the prince was faster.  
The Gerudo was determined to grab him, so the moment she felt a small push on her shoulder, she craned her neck enough to see Sidon start leaning to the side. Akki instantly turned her body and managed to take a hold of one of his arm fins (at least for a second). The prince then chuckled when Akki put her arms up in victory.  
After a few more teases, he slowed down and swam below her, motioning one leg upwards, then the other. He then positioned her arms and pulled her back, leaving her in a similar position to Tottika’s. Akki wanted to laugh at the odd display, and how weird it must look as she was moved around like a rag doll. She knew she didn’t have much time left though, she could only hold her breath so long. 

Sidon then floated on top of her and asked “Want to do something fun?” Unable to respond, she just nodded. Sidon turned around, showing his back and asked her to hold onto him. Akki was filled with questions, but she couldn’t exactly argue at the moment. Her curiosity won her over and she did as instructed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, she lifted her legs and hooked her feet on Sidon’s front.

All of a sudden, everything became a blur. Sidon dashed quickly towards the bottom, passing through bubbles for Akki to inhale quickly. She grabbed him tightly as he kept swimming, slowing down just enough for her to look around. 

He pointed at a direction, and Akki couldn’t help but gape as she saw Muzu dancing with some Zoras. Most of them were from the infirmary and he even swam with many of the elders. Akki was just amazed at how elegant and swift he moved. He looked so…young. He swam even faster than some of the younger Zoras.  
Then Sidon pointed at the king. He was resting on a large boulder, and as if sensing he was being watched, he waved at them. Akki waved awkwardly at the king while Sidon stood on the floor, squatting a bit. The King laughed. “I suggest you hold on, Akki.”

Akki didn’t know what was happening, but the intense stare Sidon gave towards the surface made her cling on even tighter than before. First he crouched and then he pushed with all his strength, swimming at full speed upwards. She couldn’t see the trail of bubbles he left behind and the odd stares of the Zoras. Many of them even had to move away to avoid a crash. The poor Gerudo had a deathly grip as the prince swam faster and faster. She swam with Tottika before, but her speed didn’t compare to Sidon’s, and with her oxygen quickly running out, she feared that she could loose her hold and not make it.

Just as everything was starting to become a blur, all of a sudden the world stopped. Akki stared in awe at the sun setting in front of her. The sensation of momentarily floating on air was completely different to floating on water. Her grip loosened and she let herself slip off the back of her companion. The cool air brushed her face, and she had never felt so free. Unlike underwater, her body felt like a feather suspended in air. 

Then reality struck back and after a loud splash she realized she forgot to inhale. Akki desperately swam to the surface, and before she thought she couldn’t reach it in time, an arm wrapped around her side and helped her. She gasped and tried to settle her panicking heart. 

“I am so sorry,” Sidon stared at her apologetically, “I didn’t realize you needed more time to breathe.”

"No no, it's fine,” She fixed a few stray hairs “I don’t think I would have been prepared for anything like it anyways.”

Both of them gazed ahead as the last rays of light disappeared. The celebration continued underwater, but both of them preferred to be in each others company. They sat on the shore and talked about the festival and since Akki was unable to speak underwater, she couldn’t help but blabber. She unbraided her hair as she tried to describe every detail. Meanwhile Sidon enjoyed listening. He has lived in the Domain for his entire life, but hearing Akki’s choice of words made him relive the event with the same enthusiasm he had as a child. 

When Akki turned to face Sidon, she saw him smiling broadly at her, making her cheeks heat up. For an instance she wondered what why she was suddenly feeling so warm inside, and why her heart rate increased. Akki decided to brush away those thoughts and just enjoy the odd sensations. 

Perhaps it was a shark thing, or perhaps it was something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll! 
> 
> Hope you guys like the chapter, and thank you for sticking around! 
> 
> Btw, I took some liberties and included the bubbles Skyward Sword had (how else could she witness the celebration if not?). Also, Akki was not going to be wearing a traditional Zora tunic since those have a much deeper meaning and its far too soon for her to get one.


	7. Cleff's Arrows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Spring Festival magic, Akki tries to get used to her harsh reality, but luckily she has a friend to remind her that she is not so lonely anymore.

After the Spring Festival, things almost settled back to normal, with the exception of a few Zoras. Tottika seemed to take a liking to Cleff and Akki couldn’t help but laugh whenever she saw her friend’s cheek redden whenever she mentioned the young merchant. Sidon was asked to stay to continue his royal duties, but Akki knew it was only a matter of time before he continued his search for the hero.

The day after the festival, the infirmary was packed with Zoras with (luckily) minor injuries. Most of them with small scrapes and others who seemed to have eaten a little too much. Even though many were reluctant for Akki’s help, a few seemed to want to know the Gerudo who danced with the prince. Was it progress? Not quite according to Akki. She felt that she was just a minor entertainment for the latest gossip in town and then eventually fall back into the same routine as before. 

Muzu continued to teach her about common Zora diseases and injuries, and since Akki had her previous knowledge from her own home, she caught up quickly. Muzu was a fierce instructor, and instead of praising Akki’s quick hold of the Zora’s medical ways, Muzu would just move on to the next topic and test her harder than the rest of her coworkers. At first glance, one could think she was being discriminated or bullied, but in reality, Akki had surpassed her coworkers in the infirmary and Muzu took a liking to her. He even mentioned that he once had a student who worked as hard as as she did, but when Akki asked more about her, Muzu huffed and moved on to the next topic.

Akki did notice that some of the medical ways of the Zoras lacked depth in certain topics. She couldn’t find books on a Zora’s internal anatomy or their books on herbs were short on effects and recipes. Muzu would just grunt whenever Akki tried to explain a few herb effects to him, but she would laugh that during the night she would find some of her books mysteriously disappear.

 

“You should have seen how big Cleff’s-”

“Cleff’s arrow stock yes. Fascinating indeed,” muttered Akki in annoyance while putting some algae around Tottika’s arm. Apparently her friend thought it wise to fight three Bokoblins alone while the rest of the guards took a break. Luckily there were no major wounds, but her arms and legs needed bandages, or for the Zoras, algae.

“Come on Akki, what is actually bothering you? You’d at least tell me to jump a cold river or something like that by now,” she said as she pinched Akki, “Who do I have to fight?”

Akki chuckled at her friend’s antics. “Calm down, it’s nothing”

“Tell me anyways. As you can see…” Tottika lifted her legs filled with wounds “We are going to be here a while”.

With a bit of reluctance, Akki began to explain how hard it was for her to be accepted among the Zoras. Tottika listened attentively, nodding every so often and asking some questions to clear up a few things. It was hard to speak ill of Tottika’s people. Akki felt guilty, but once she started talking, she couldn’t stop herself. It was as if the past weeks of bottling up her feelings everything suddenly burst out. The gerudo even began to cry about feeling like a failure to her Chief and how utterly lonely she felt. Tottika hugged Akki tightly (although Akki had to confess it was a bit sticky because of the algae) and said she understood the situation completely.

“So, you told the prince before me about this problem? Tsk tsk. Just leave it to me, I have the perfect plan.”

“Tottika, I don’t need your help, just leave it-”

“Leave. It. To. Me.” And with a glare that could probably scare a Lynel, Akki gulped and resumed with the bandages. 

 

“As I was saying, Cleff has a very biiiiiig stock of arrows-”  
Both friends laughed and let their day slip away with innocent and not so innocent jokes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO! Long time no see! Its been ages and I an so so so sorry! So many things went on, like exams, life and writers block LOL For those who have sticked around and are reading the next chapter, thank you so much for continuing this journey with me! and for those who are just starting, welcome! hopefully you like the story till now!
> 
> No Sidon but I needed to get this chapter out of my system before continuing any further. Not to happy with it, but hey, I think that after this one I can get working on something wayyyyy more entertaining. Hopefully the next chapters will be more interesting!


	8. Questionable Acting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tottika never forgets a plan.

Akki started the next day without seeing her friend at all. Hopefully she had forgotten about their previous conversation and moved on. Akki walked cautiously through the market, having minimal communication with the Zoras as she bought a few ingredients. Maybe Tottika had some guard duty to attend to. Nah, she was too weak to do too much physical labour. Akki bought an armoured carp by just pointing at the fresh catch and gave the exact amount of rupees to the fisherman. Perhaps she got a fever, she thought as she automatically bought some flasks from an old Zora voe. She knew her friend, and she was almost as stubborn as a gerudo. It was odd not seeing her first thing in the morning or causing a ruckus in the market. Akki thought for a second that maybe, just maybe she truly had forgotten, but oh how wrong she was.

So so wrong.

“Hey! Akki!” The gerudo snapped her head towards the source of the voice. It was a young voe waving dramatically at her from a distance. She squinted her eyes a little to make out who it was exactly, and the blood drained from her face. Cleff was talking to her. He rarely said a word to her before, and if he started yelling so happily at her now it was because of Tottika. It had to be because of her. “Oi! Akki! Come here!” 

Akki tried to ignore him and walked away silently to not receive any attention. She thought that if she pretended to not hear Cleff, he wouldn’t insist any longer.

“Wait for me!” he ran towards her and grabbed her arm lightly to face her, “Silly Akki, didn’t hear me from a few meters?” He laughed.

When she was about to reply, Cleff hugged her tightly “Sav’aaq my friend! I’m so happy to see you! Come come, I wanted to thank you for that dried fish you gave me earlier, I never had anything with so much taste before!” He laughed loudly.

“What fish?”

He gave another laugh, this time sounding awkwardly forced “Oh silly you! Have you forgotten? You gave me this amazing fish the other day!” He patted her back and continued “You truly are a great friend I can rely on!”

Silly? Twice? What has gotten into him? Why was he acting so familiar with her? This sudden new attitude was Tottika’s doing for sure. She had to give it to him, he was trying very hard. 

She hissed “If this has anything to do with Tottika, I swear I will find her and give her a piece of my mind.”

“So silly so silly my friend!” Those were four sillies. He pushed her towards his shop, and Akki went quickly inside to avoid more curious glances. Then she was instantly face to face with a grinning (albeit covered in algae) Zora. 

“This is utterly ridiculous, Tottika, whatever you have planned next, stop it” she said as she poked at her friends chest. “And to bring in Cleff? Are you out of your mind? He has nothing to do with any of this.”

Tottika merely smiled “Genius isn’t it? Everyone knows I’m already your friend, so why not show Cleff? Besides,” she waved her hand dismissively “He wanted to get to know you for a while, so why not now?”

Akki spun her head towards Cleff, only to see him looking down at the floor awkwardly “It’s true. I’ve been wanting to know you better but I never found an excuse. You never come to my shop and I never go to the infirmary.”

“See?” Tottika grinned, “Cleff this is Akki, my dearest friend. And Akki, this is Cleff, healthiest Zora around apparently. You are friends now.” 

Akki stared incredulously at both of them, and Cleff continued “I know I have no right in asking for your friendship, but I want to apologize for not welcoming you properly to the Domain”.

Akki smiled fondly and pat him on the shoulder, “All is well my friend, I do not blame you.”

Cleff’s face beamed and started shaking her hand enthusiastically “This is so exciting! I have so many questions! What kind of arrows do gerudos use? Oh, and other weapons of course! And how do you make this dried fish and- and- do you want me to write things down for you?”

Akki laughed. His intentions of befriending her were true after all. Before she could start answering she heard a loud voice outside.

“Oh. My. Dearest. Student. Where. Are. You? The. Wisest. Of. My. Current. Students. And. Dare. I. Say. Friend.”

“You didn’t,” Akki hissed at Tottika.

Nodding happily “Oh yes I did.” 

All three ran outside only to see Muzu speaking loudly as he used exaggerated hand gestures and spoke in a slow and monotonous way.

“Didn’t he say he was the best actor in his times?” Tottika asked Cleff.

He shrugged “He said he was, but he must have acted out the old scrolls of Vila. Is that...a script?” 

Akki ran towards Muzu, it was embarrassing enough to have Cleff yelling her name in the market, but having Muzu act out so terribly? People will talk. She ran and waved at Muzu. “I’m here I’m here! Do you need some help with someone in the infirmary? Potions? Oh let me help you!”

Muzu stared down at his notes and passed a few pages. He put on his glasses ever so slowly and replied “Ah. Yes. Let. Us. Go. Help. The. Wounded. The. Poor. Souls” 

“Ah yes yes, Muzu, lets go quickly then!” Akki pushed her instructor towards the infirmary as quick as she could, but was stopped by a swarm of wobbling children. They grabbed her legs and yelled things like “Sister!” “We miss you!” “Tell us a story!” “You’re the best!”  
Even small Laruta squealed a small “I want to be you when I grow up!” Akki wanted to groan. Who else did Tottika contact?

They asked to be picked up and demanded hugs and kisses. Tottika whispered at Akki “At least they act better than Muzu” and she pointed at an old Zora reciting a monologue about honor and service. Many Zoras were beginning to stare. Everything was just so overwhelming and Akki started to wish she could lock herself up in her room. 

Fwoosh! 

First Akki was spinning in the air and suddenly she was hugged so tightly she couldn’t breathe. All she could see was a mix between red and white, and she could only guess it was Sidon. 

“My my! How much attention you are receiving my dear friend! I just wanted to be a part of it as well!” Of course Tottika managed to convince him to act in her scheme. “I wanted to invite you for some dinner but seeing everyone wanting to be with you, it will be a little hard to take you away from them!” He gave a toothy grin. Akki hadn’t seen Sidon since the festival, so Tottika was definitely involved. 

A crowd was forming, and what a sight it was to see. Cleff and Tottika laughing, kids yelling and running around in circles for attention, Muzu focusing hard on his centuries old monologue, and a giant prince hugging and twirling a gerudo around. Not only that, but Sidon got dizzy from all the whirling, and tripped over a fountain, dragging Akki along with him. The kids instantly took advantage of the situation and jumped in as well, and of course Cleff and Tottika wanted to join the fun. Everyone started splashing at everyone else, and even some bystanders ran in as well. Akki tried to settle down and focus on the chaos. She looked around and couldn’t stop her lips from forming a large and genuine smile. Akki wasn’t alone. She had more friends than she had thought, and they all did this for her, to feel loved and important.

Amongst the chaos, she splashed Sidon “I can’t believe you had time to talk to Tottika but not me! You said you were loaded with meetings!”

He blinked a few times “I haven’t had the honor to speak with Lady Tottika since the Spring Festival. I just happened to get some time off now because Muzu said he had a very important duty,” he stared at the old man finishing his speech and a few older Zoras clapped. The old Zora bowed and muttered a few ‘thank you’s. 

“So you weren’t a part of this?” She asked.

He stared oddly at her. So he was just being his normal self? Akki laughed “Of course you weren’t.”

Sidon then maneuvered his way to get closer to Akki, he moved some wet hair behind her ear and left his hand gently on her cheek, “I truly missed you”.

“As did I”, Akki confessed. They remained gazing at each other for a few seconds, Akki started to notice faint smell of fresh herbs and a touch of an earthy scent she couldn’t pin point just yet. She tried to focus on the scent but it became harder as his face came closer and closer and-

 

SPLASH

For a second they had forgotten that they were not alone in the fountain, but reality struck them fast and they were instantly attacked by the many splashes of the children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOAH. TWO CHAPTERS IN A ROW!
> 
> I swear this was funnier in my head, but hey, I tried!  
> More is yet to come! COUGHS cant guarantee when, but ILL TRY HARD
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I absolutely love when someone comments! It really helps me see that some people actually like what I am doing and encourages me to write more. And although I don't reply much, I guarantee you that I am spazzing for like... weeks when someone says something nice (no matter how small).
> 
> Thanks for still reading!


	9. I will be there for you

It has been about two weeks since Akki hadn’t seen the prince. A group of bokoblins were spotted close to Upland Zorana, and the prince decided to take a small group of soldiers to take care of them. He had reassured Akki that he had done this many times, and even told her that he would gladly wait for some condimented fish upon his quick arrival. That was two weeks ago, and still no news. Akki didn’t have any nails left to bite on.

Akki was delivering some dried fish to some guards on the west gate, a day away from the Domain. She may have offered a little too quickly to do the delivery herself since the guards could have some news of the prince. As she handed them their packs of food, she saw Dunma suddenly running towards the guards, with a panicked look on her face. She was one of the soldiers that had accompanied Sidon, and she was currently filled with scratches head to toe.  
Akki quickly hurried closer, concern evident in her eyes “What is it?”

“We’ve been-” she breathed “Ambushed. So many- The blue- the princ-”  
“Where?” She cut her off.  
“Ralis pond”.

Akki instantly started running in the direction the Zora came. She knew Sidon was one of the strongest and most fearless warriors in the Domain, but that didn’t stop her form worrying. Her stomach felt heavy and sick as she ran and climbed the rocks, leaving one of the guards who followed, quickly behind. Her chest heaved, but she didn’t stop. Having travelled for so long through the deserts, she had stamina and endurance to spare. Zoras tended to have trouble climbing, since they lacked grip and tended to slide down.

She continued to run, jump and climb all the obstacles, with one thing on her mind; was Sidon hurt? The gerudo was so worried about getting there quickly that she had forgotten to pack, or even grab a weapon.

Then she heard the sound of weapons clashing and yelling. She instantly stopped and sneaked behind a large rock. Akki peered ahead, spotting a few soldiers and many, so many bokoblins. They had clubs and arrows and had them all surrounded. She frowned as she couldn’t find Sidon. She gave her surroundings a quick scan and sprinted to a bush to be closer to the battle. She then took a look through the twigs and branches at the battle, but still no signs of the prince.

All of a sudden a blue Zora had fallen near her, his leg had a small gash and his helmet was cracked. His spear was a few meters away and three bokoblins were running towards him. Akki panicked. She had to do something. Tapping her own pockets frantically, she found some deku nuts and prayed to the goddessess that they would work. Before she could process what she was about to do, she threw a deku nut at the bokoblins, luckily being able to blind them for a bit, then she ran to grab a large stick and started whacking them.

With the distraction, the Zora could get up and grab his spear to kill the monsters one by one, while the gerudo whacked their heads as much as she could. Akki had forgotten how to breathe and before she had time notice she was actually fighting with a mere stick, her instincts took over. She hit vital areas like the knees, shoulders, neck, and actually pocked the eye of one of them. No real damage was done, but it was enough to make them pay attention to her and not the Zora.  
She then felt a cold hand on her shoulder, and before she could turn and hit her next target, she saw the young soldier indicating that she was safe. Akki could finally take a breathe, but before he could thank the gerudo, Akki asked “Where is he?”

There was a monstrous yell, and Akki froze. Akki had heard of a Hinox before, but she didn’t imagine them to be so large and frighting. She rushed forward, not hearing the Zora trying to stop her. She quickly grabbed a spear she saw on the ground and ran, jumping over some bokoblin bodies.

Once she found a hiding spot behind a boulder, she checked her surroundings again. Her eyes immediately found Sidon, his spear piercing the blue hinox on the belly. Making it grunt loudly. Akki watched, almost mesmerized by the way Sidon danced in battle.  
His scaled skin sparkled in the sun, his head tail fanned restlessly whenever he moved. His hands and feet were covered with mud, blood and grime. His face was twisted in a ferocious look. Luckily, Akki didn’t find any major wounds, only cuts and bruises. But it seemed that he was the everyone’s main target. Sidon was being attacked from all sides, even arrows that he was barely missing were being fired at him as he tried to handle the giant hinox in front of him.

  
She decided to take a more stealthy approach, as she began to skirt closer around the edge of the battle, never loosing site of her prince. She wasn’t more than 20 meters away from him, and she was watching intently at him clashing with the nasty looking blue hinox. The group of bokoblins advanced towards Sidon from behind. Having Sidon’s back to her, the monsters were at a clear range for Akki. She acted fast, jumping out from behind the large boulder and running straight towards the first bokoblin. She yelled, detaching the smaller monster’s attention from Sidon and making it swing around to her, just as she herself aimed for it’s heart.  
Having recognized the voice, Sidon snapped his head back. For a moment, Akki thought Sidon was going to drop his spear when he looked so surprised, but then his face quickly changed to sheer rage.

  
“What are you doing here?” He roared at her as he jumped away from an attack from the hinox.  
“Thought you could use some help” she tried to smile as she forced her legs to not shake with fear. She sensed a bokoblin behind her and she yelped as Sidon pierced it’s head, right above her shoulder. He then pushed her roughly to the side to kill another bokoblin.  
“You’re welcome by the way, for having your back just then.”  
She then heard Sidon huff as he continued to fight “I had it under control”.  
“Obviously” Akki replied sarcastically, trying to hide her grin. But it quickly vanished on its own when she saw a bokoblin charge right at her. The gerudo yelped as she merely avoided a clubing, and then she aimed towards it’s right shoulder to make him drop his weapon. Just as she started to panic that her newly acquired spear was stuck in the monster’s thorax, Sidon ended the creature’s life with one swift strike on it’s back.

  
Sidon growled loudly, and before she knew it, she was being pushed into another position. Apparently they were changing sides.  
The amount of bokoblins was diminishing quickly, thanks to Sidon mainly. Akki managed to kill a few, but whenever she thought she could confront a monster, Sidon would quickly push her out of the way, making her trip more than once. Akki understood she had no experience, but she wanted to help. She aimed for vital areas but with Sidon’s constant pushing, her aim constantly missed. As she was about to yell her frustrations, surprisingly enough, the hinox killed a few of the bokoblins. Probably impatient and frustrated that he couldn’t fight with Sidon yet.

  
As the blue hinox rushed closer, Sidon faced him and got ready to confront it once more. Akki was left with only three bokoblins, but as she glanced Sidon, she saw the hinox grow angrier and not weaker. His thrashes were quicker and Sidon seemed to have difficulty avoiding them.  
“Aim for inside of his right thigh!” Akki yelled. She shrieked as a bokoblin came at her, but she kicked him on the knee, making it trip.  
Sidon took Akki’s advice and pierced his spear in the inner thigh of the hinox. It yelled with pain and fell to its knee. As soon as Sidon pulled out his spear, a massive amount of blood sprayed out. Akki cheered, knowing that Sidon managed to get its femoral artery. The battle was won.

 

 

 

 

“Hold still- Bazz! I said still!”  
Akki struggled with the not-so-fierce warrior. He had a large gash on his arm, dangerously close to one of his arm fins. It wasn’t deep but it needed instant medical attention. Since many were wounded, they were a few days away from the Domain, and Akki didn’t want to risk an infection. Luckily, Akki saw a few herbs that could work as salve, and was currently trying to get the soldier to cease his wiggling so she could apply the mixture. She was slowly starting to regret saving his life.  
“I’m fine miss!” Bazz whined like a child, trying to crawl away.

  
“Stop moving, or you will open your wound more!” Akki barked, and immediately Bazz obeyed, large eyes staring at her like a startled sandseal. “You are a soldier, you must have seen quite a few battles, so you can survive a bit of salve.”  
Bazz whimpered, but didn’t protest any more, trying to protect the little dignity he had left. He was worse than treating one of the Zora kids.  
Being the only healer, Akki took it upon herself to help with the wounded, as well as to prolong the heated glare of a certain Zora prince.

  
“The prince wont stop glaring at you” Bazz muttered a few minutes later. “I must admit, he’s beginning to scare me”.  
“That bad?” She mumbled as she applied some of her ripped clothes around the wound.  
Once Akki finished, Bazz stood and said sincerely “Thank you” then he leaned in just so Akki could hear and added “And I wish you goodluck”. He offered her a smile and walked towards the other Zoras.  
As Akki watching him, she felt the presence of Sidon approaching.  
“A word” he said in a low voice.

 

Akki nodded and walked with him, away from the rest of the Zoras. The battle had ended, and the Zoras were just preparing for their departure back to the Domain. There were no loses, but they would be vulnerable to a new attack. Akki calculated new soldiers should be arriving soon since Dunma delivered the news in the Domain.  
Sidon stopped, at a sufficient enough distance from the rest of the group. Unless Sidon started yelling, of course, but Akki knew he wasn't the kind who liked to make a scene.

“What were you thinking?” Sidon growled, his voice low. His eyes trailed up and down her body, stopping on a large gash on her upper arm, a cut over her cheek, then her swelling left eye.  
Akki raised a brow. She understood that she surprised him, but she had no remorse.  
“I heard you were ambushed, and I thought you could use some help.” She replied simply, trying to keep her voice calm.  
“Help?” He stared at her incredulously. “You could have gotten yourself killed.”  
“Yet here I am, safe and sound.”

There was a pause, then Sidon pinched the bridge of his nose.  
“Never do this again, do you understand?”  
“No.”  
“No?” Sidon repeated slowly, taking a large step towards her. Their bodies almost touching. She had to look upwards as his face stared down, either to intimidate her or to make himself look superior.  
“You heard me.” She crossed her arms. Her gerudo pride kicking in “I know I am no fighter, but I cannot let my friend get himself killed.” Although she seemed confident, she had never been so scared in her life.  
“Nor I, but least I am prepared for these situations, I am a warrior and if I die, so be it.”  
Akki felt as if she was talking to a wall, and so she started poking his chest. Hard. “And I am a healer, prepared to get fanatic warriors like you from getting the kiss of death.” Sidon retreated a bit, Akki took a mental note to check if he had a broken rib, but that didn’t stop her. “I will drag you from your tomb to kill you myself if you plan on taking on a hinox all by yourself again.” She then sighed, held one of Sidon’s large hands gently, and spoke gently “I cannot see you die. I will gladly fight for you if the time comes."

  
"Don't say that. Your place is not on the battle field.” She knew he was right. It was a miracle of the goddesses that she was still standing.  
"Is this all because you're afraid?" She asked him.  
“Of course I am." Was his instant reply, but his glare and stony expression did not falter. "You should never have come here today. I could have lost you.” His expression then turned into one of pain.  
“What would you have done in my place then?” she whispered.

  
Sidon didn't respond for a long moment. Akki had never seen so much emotion flood his features. He cupped her face with one hand, his thumb caressing her cheek ever so slowly. But, much to Akki’s horror, he said nothing, he let his hand drop and turned his back to her, marching towards the Zoras.

Akki stared after him, standing still and blinking at what had just happened. She recited their argument a few times in her head in seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Long time no see!  
> So so sorry. It's been ages since I updated this! So much went on in my life and I couldn't get myself to at least get the story going.
> 
> Thank you for reading! You have no idea how appreciate it!


End file.
